Markets, Public Policy & Law

• QST BE 101: Introductory Microeconomics for Business and Strategy
  Business economics provides students with an intellectual framework for understanding how businesses work: how firms interact in markets, and how markets respond to regulation and policy. Business economics has a dual mission: it is both a social science that describes how markets function and a framework that provides practical guidance for business leaders. This course focuses on business-relevant questions of how markets and businesses interact to create and distribute value. The course takes a data-based, empirical approach to these questions and uses experiential learning and interactive activities to enhance students' applications of economics to BU business problems. The course describes how social value is created via innovation and economic growth and how social value can be destroyed through harmful externalities. Effective Fall 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Critical Thinking, Ethical Reasoning, Social Inquiry I.
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  • Critical Thinking
  • Ethical Reasoning
  • Social Inquiry I
• QST BE 325: Strategy in the Health and Life Science Sector
  Undergraduate Pre-requisite: Sophomore standing. - This course examines the distinctive strategic and economic challenges that healthcare and life science firms face. It explores how innovators, providers, and insurers in the healthcare industry create and capture value. We will develop frameworks of competition specific to the healthcare industry. Public policy responds to the unique features of these markets, and we will examine how this generates new affects business opportunities. The course offers insights into the unique aspects of the U.S. healthcare system and how it compares globally. We explore questions such as: How does payment affect the types of drugs firms develop? How do insurers avoid expensive customers? Who is incentivized to offer high-quality health care? Effective Fall 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Social Inquiry II.
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  • Social Inquiry II
• QST BE 350: The Psychology of Decision Making: Implications for Business and Public Policy
  Undergraduate Pre-requisite: Sophomore standing. - We provide an introduction to how individuals make decisions, applying the tools of psychology and economics. We will learn to identify common mistakes and biases. Students will have the opportunity to evaluate their own decision- making ability and learn how to make improved decisions. We link each aspect of decision-making studied to current personal finance decision, business problem & public policy issue. This course will improve negotiation ability and prepare students to use social science data to support decisions. The course consists of cases, discussions, lectures & project. Effective Fall 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, Critical Thinking.
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  • Critical Thinking
  • Social Inquiry II
• QST BE 720: Organizations, Markets, and Society
  Understanding and analyzing the core strategic decisions facing businesses in competitive markets. Students will examine how businesses achieve their fundamental goals given the need to produce goods and services efficiently and a market environment reflecting consumer preferences (demand) and the strategies and strengths of competitors. Students will develop analytic skills necessary for understanding core business models and how different models create value for the business as well as the larger society.
• QST BE 721: Economics and Management Decisions
  Graduate Pre-requisite: QST MO712 or MO713 (QST QM716 or QM717 recommended). The aim of the course is to present many of the decision problems managers face and to present the economic analysis they need to guide these decisions. Microeconomic tools are used to structure complicated decision problems about production, pricing, investment, and other strategic issues, address uncertainty through probabilistic forecasts and sequential decisions. An important part of the course is to develop an understanding of the external environment in which firms operate by analyzing the implications of market structure, macroeconomic developments and policy, and other forms of public policy toward business.
• QST BE 834: Macroeconomics in the Global Environment
  Macroeconomics is the study of the aggregate behavior of global market participants, i.e. consumers, firms, workers, governments, central banks, foreign investors. Decision making by investment bankers, product/sales managers, policy makers, or consumers inevitably rely on an understanding of the main forces driving GDP, inflation, unemployment, interest rates, and exchange rates. Consider these questions: 1. Should new consumer durable products be launched during recessions? 2. Are countries that experience high productivity growth good investment targets? 3. Will interest rates drop if the US government starts buying back its debt? 4. With significant liquidity demands by the US economy from the public sector, the household sector and businesses, what explains the low US interest rates? Are these factors expected to keep interest rates low also in the future? 5. Can the Euro boost productivity in Europe in the medium to long run and what are the competitiveness challenges for US businesses of such changes? 6. What are the economic effects of wars and how should they be financed? These and other issues will come up in the course. The main goal of this course is to provide a coherent framework that you can use to understand economic events as you confront them in your work environment.
• QST BE 845: Improving Your Decisions
  The main aim of Improving Your Decisions is to present many of the decision problems managers face and to identify the most effective ways to make sound decisions -- as well as the pitfalls, biases, and mistakes that should be avoided. A key element of the course is to present students with a series of decision challenges: What would you do? In other words, you must come to grips with actual decisions and defend your actions. The assigned readings also convey the most recent research findings in behavioral economics: how individuals and managers actually make decisions. The second half of the course centers on group decision making: how groups with common and not-so-common interests decide. The focus shifts from individual choices to group decisions that embody both competitive and cooperative elements.
• QST LA 245: Introduction to Law
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: QST SM131 and sophomore standing - Provides a broad overview of the American judicial system and fundamental legal issues. Examines dispute resolution, torts, contracts, criminal law, business organizations, employment law, intellectual property, and international law. The goal is to understand not only the basic rules of law but also the underlying social policies and ethical dilemmas.
• QST LA 343: Discrimination and the Law: Implications for Business
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (QSTLA245) - Many companies struggle with how to support diverse employees, and the need to do so has become even more urgent in the wake of events like the death of George Floyd. Navigating these issues requires understanding how the lived experiences varies systematically among different ethnic groups, genders, gender identities, and sexual orientation. Successfully addressing inequities and adopting practical solutions necessitates understanding the history of racism, sexism, and other "isms" in America. This course will address these and other relevant issues in the context of the corporate environment. It will cover doctrinal issues regarding the ethical and legal obligations of corporations as it relates to managing discrimination in the workplace (e.g., history of antidiscrimination legislation, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964), but will also delve into some of the more practical aspects of the tools and techniques companies can or should adopt to achieve a more inclusive work environment. 4 cr.
• QST LA 346: Business, Justice, and Responsibility
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (QSTLA245) - This course explores the legal and ethical challenges a leader will face in a highly regulated, complex, global business. We will explore societal issues such as lying, bias, fraud, corruption, stereotyping, religious freedom, discrimination, and whistleblowing, and consider the responsibility of a business and its leaders to address these challenges, and to create a more just society. Students will also consider the competing roles of business, the legislature, and the courts in addressing societal issues. By reading Supreme Court opinions and business cases, participating in oral arguments, engaging in efforts to make social change, and studying current events, students will deepen skills in analyzing ethical dilemmas and thinking critically. This course will teach students to view decisions through multiple frames, develop empathy, and train them to engage in a meaningful, substantive dialogue -- written and spoken -- about sensitive topics in a professional setting.
• QST LA 355: Employment Law and Public Policy
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (QSTLA245) - An in-depth look at the legal issues involved in the employer/employee relationship. Such topics include: discrimination, affirmative action, harassment, the hiring process, employee testing, and terminating employees (for cause, layoffs). Discussions will focus on the duties and rights of both parties through the stages of employment, from hiring and managing your workforce, to benefits, conditions of employment, and downsizing.
• QST LA 360: Real Estate Law
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: QST LA245. Pre-req for SHA students: SHA HF250 - Real estate can generate spectacular wealth and contribute to unprecedented financial losses. Real estate is an essential component of every business that requires a physical location to operate. Real estate is where we sleep, where we attend school, where we work, where we play, where we go when we are sick -it quite literally is beneath everything we do. Every real estate transaction begins and ends with legal principles. Mastering the basics of property law puts one in a superior position. Knowledge of real estate law is imperative for those who plan to invest in or manage property on a larger scale. This course provides an overview of real estate law for tenants, present and future property owners, developers, investors, and public policy advocates. We examine the nature of real property and property ownership, residential and commercial real estate transactions, and selected issues of real estate development.
• QST LA 365: Securities Regulation
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (QSTLA245 & QSTFE323) - The securities industry is highly regulated by a complex set of federal laws designed to "protect investors, maintain fair, orderly, and efficient markets, and facilitate capital formation." (www.sec.gov/about/whatwedo.shtml) Federal law governs the issuance of securities ("going public"), regulates companies whose shares are being traded (known as "issuers"), and makes rules for everyone working in the securities industry, including bankers, brokers, dealers, and investment advisors. Those issuers and financial institutions (and their employees or directors) who violate the myriad of federal laws regulating securities face civil litigation from shareholders, enforcement actions by the Securities and Exchange Commission, and criminal charges from the Department of Justice. This course will focus upon the key federal statutes that regulate securities and participants in the securities markets: the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Sarbanes-Oxley, the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and several criminal statutes that are utilized for violations of securities regulation. We will read statutes and case law, and use examples and guest speakers to understand the application of the law in real life. The class is intended for students interested in careers in finance or leadership in a public company. The goal is not to create securities lawyers, but to give students an awareness of the regulation and the legal risks involved in the securities market.
• QST LA 450: Law and Risk Management
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (QSTLA245) - Due to the financial crisis of 2008, the industry has re-aligned its business models to a risk-based approach for products and services. In response to this paradigm shift, Advanced Business Law, now known as Law and Risk Management, will focus on the identification, assessment, and management of operational and regulatory risk in the context of the law. Topics covered will continue to include contract risk, commercial financing, the Uniform Commercial Code, agency liability, bankruptcy, products liability, and real estate. The class will emphasize legal issues as a component of effective strategic business planning with a particular emphasis on duties and liabilities for corporate accounting. Group work includes contract drafting, interpretation, and negotiation. This course in part supplements many of the legal issues central to the accounting concentration and addresses many of the topics on the Regulation section of the CPA Exam.
• QST LA 498: Law Directed Study
  Directed study in Law. 2 or 4 cr. Application available on Undergraduate Program website.
• QST PL 498: Directed Study in Markets, Public Policy, and Law
  Directed study in Markets and Public Policy. 2 or 4 cr. Application available on Undergraduate Program website
• QST PL 710: Introduction to Business Law
  This course will survey contemporary issues in selected areas of law and ethics. We will introduce pivotal areas of law, so that students begin to anticipate legal problems, analyze how to avoid them, and realize how legal principles can be employed to add value in their chosen fields. The subjects are torts, contracts, employment law, securities regulation and corporate governance. We expect that this overview of a few disciplines will encourage students to explore other legal topics relevant to their business interests. We will also offer an analytic structure that enables students to identify ethical issues in business, analyze options and make choices consistent with their own values.
• QST PL 833: Business Law and Discrimination
  Many companies struggle with how to support diverse employees, and the need to do so has become even more urgent in the wake of events like the death of George Floyd. Navigating these issues requires understanding how the lived experiences varies systematically among different ethnic groups, genders, gender identities, and sexual orientation. Successfully addressing inequities and adopting practical solutions necessitates understanding the history of racism, sexism, and other "isms" in America. This course will address these and other relevant issues in the context of the corporate environment. It will cover doctrinal issues regarding the ethical and legal obligations of corporations as it relates to managing discrimination in the workplace (e.g., history of antidiscrimination legislation, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964), but will also delve into some of the more practical aspects of the tools and techniques companies can or should adopt to achieve a more inclusive work environment.
• QST PL 835: Managing Your Workforce
  All students of Management will be employees and/or managers, yet very few know their rights or their responsibilities in those roles. Understanding the legal contours will help students better navigate their career, make smarter management decisions, and hopefully correct behavior or policies before they become lawsuits.
• QST PL 855: Energy Sector Market Dynamics
  This course is designed as a multi-dimensional approach to understanding the energy sector. This includes production, development, distribution, financing, and consumption relating to the two distinct sectors - Power Generation and Transportation, both domestically and internationally. For Power Generation, we will explore the fundamentals of Generation, Transmission (G&T), and Distribution as well as major feedstocks, including wind, solar, nuclear, natural gas, and coal. This includes an in-depth discussion of both challenges and opportunities inherent to altering the current system.